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LATHAM, N.Y. (Nov. 13, 2020) – Soldiers assigned to the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade were honored by Albany County legislators for their eight months of continuous service responding to the COVID-19 pandemic during a ceremony at the New York National Guard headquarters November 13.
Four Soldiers represented the brigade, headquartered in Latham, New York, receiving a certificate and proclamation from the county legislature on behalf of the entire command’s work responding across New York State.
Over their eight months of responding to the pandemic, 216 members of the brigade were on duty, with 67 currently on duty as of November.
“We are recognizing our neighbors and our friends for the outstanding work they have done,” said Andrew Joyce, Albany County district 9 representative. “The New York National Guard: they are our friends, they are our neighbors; they are normal folks that serve our community.”
Joyce praised the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, or CAB as it is known, by saying that when the pandemic started, “they rose to the call, rose to the challenge and did some unbelievable, incredible things.”
Since mobilization on March 10 by Governor Andrew Cuomo, more than 4,000 members of the New York Air National Guard, Army National Guard, New York Guard and Naval Militia have served in a COVID-19 response capacity.
Since the outbreak began, Albany County has had a total of 4,531 cases as of November 15, with 147 deaths.
Major mission sets conducted by New York Soldiers and Airmen include operating drive-thru testing sites, COVID-19 test kit assembly, decedent recovery, food distribution and medical supply warehousing, among several others.
To date, more than 220,000 people have been tested in Albany County. This equates to two thirds of the county’s population of 304,000.
“Often is the case with disasters, manmade and natural, and now with pandemics, we call on the National Guard to do things that are almost impossible,” Joyce said. “And these folks from the span of several months from March through the summer, they ran testing sites, they delivered food and they made sure people stayed safe.”
Joyce was joined by Bill Ricard, representing county legislative district 17, and Mark Grimm, representing the county’s district 29.
The three legislators said they recognized the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade deserved the Albany County Legislature ‘Beyond the Call’ COVID-19 Award for Soldiers’ efforts to help the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Soldiers of our combat aviation brigade are very proud to be able to help out,” said Maj. Henry Chandler, assistant operations officer assigned to the 42nd CAB. “It was Soldiers that live both in Albany County and outside the county.”
Chandler said Soldiers of the brigade worked all across the state, part of the New York National Guard effort that has assisted in conducting almost 600,000 tests and assembled more than 3 million test kits.
“I just want to congratulate the Soldiers of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade and of the New York National Guard for the incredible work they’ve done,” Joyce said. “It is a true act of patriotism to wear your mask and take all precautions possible. We will see our way through the pandemic.”
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2020 14:07 |
| Story ID: | 383181 |
| Location: | LATHAM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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